2003 Hilux Front Diff Breakages
Submitted: Thursday, Feb 05, 2004 at 23:18
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Alfred
I have a 2003 Turbo Diesel Hilux which has broken the crown wheel and pinion gears in the front diff (for the second time). The first time the diff was repaired by Western Toyota under warranty, the second time I am told it is NOT covered by warranty as the breakage is due to driver abuse.
Both times the diff has broken I was driving the vehicle up gravel forestry tracks. The first diff breakage occured at approx 12,000km and the second at 20,000km. These are total vehicle km's as per speedo. As the Hilux is a part-time 4WD the approx 4WDing km's per diff prior breaking is about 2000km.
The first diff breakage occured on the 18th may 2003. Brought Hilux to Western Toyota to be repaired. The gentleman at the service desk told me "this was NOT the first case of this problem, there is a weak part in the vehicle. This repair will be covered under warranty". Four days later........the vehicle was repaired.......and
NO CHARGE to me.
The second diff breakage occured on the 8th November 2003. After many visits to Western Toyota and many phone calls to Toyota Australia Customer Service I was not getting any satisfaction. With no evidence presented they kept telling me "you have voided the warranty for repairs due to driver abuse".
As recommended by more than one diff repair specialist I had the broken pinion gear metallurgically analyzed by an independant engineer to determine the cause of failure. To cut a much longer story short the results were that the broken pinion gear has signs of fatigue cracking. The engineer's opinion is that the part had broken due to fatigue and not to driver abuse. With these results Toyota has no comment other than "take legal action", we are not repairing the diff under warranty.
More than two months with my Hilux and a broken front diff, on the 16th January 2004 I picked up my Hilux after PAYING for a complete new front diff fitted by a different Toyota dealer.
12 months ago I thought I was buying an UNBREAKABLE HILUX.....................
Has anyone had or know of similar problems with late model 4 wheel drive Toyotas?
Reply By: jeff-wa - Friday, Feb 06, 2004 at 18:52
Friday, Feb 06, 2004 at 18:52
SDC, you have hit the nail on the head! Not sure about the laws over there, but in WA the ministry of fair trading would have a field day with that. I used to go through the process quite often of dealing with complaints in a previous job. The ads actually state that it is unbreakable, I have often wondered this while watching the ads what they are opening themselves up to, not only that but what they do to their vehicles on the ads, obviously doctored but who cares, you can use that to get the bastards!
Get someone to video tape you going up one of those foresty tracks, play that, then play the ad straight after. Is this really abuse?
This product is not capable of doing what the advertising claims. I would like a refund or repair.
AnswerID:
45727
Reply By: Meggs - Friday, Feb 06, 2004 at 22:49
Friday, Feb 06, 2004 at 22:49
Alfred I am not surprised thay asked the question about driver abuse as having two diff's fail in 20000k would be a very rare event indeed. Toyota don't build diffs they just source them from elsewhere and there must be many thousands of diff's in use that are trouble free.
Remember that fatigue can also be caused by overload. I have a 2000 model Hilux not turbo and I have had no trouble but I haven't used my front diff a lot but it was a forestery vehicle so the front diff would have been used a bit before I bought it.
After I got
mine it had a louder than normal noise in the gearbox while in neutral so I took it back to Toyota and they scheduled it in for warranty repairs. I took it in on the date required and they "did" the job and my son bought it
home as I was away. Three days later I got another call that there were two Hilux,s in for gearboxes one was an older model and they didn't do
mine. So back it went and two days later a brand new gearbox.
I just wonder what type of repair you got on the first failure as the failed parts are Toyota's property and you don't know weather you got a repair or a replacement.
AnswerID:
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